Bruno Sammartino Interview Recap

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Bruno Sammartino Interview Recap
By Neal Jones
Jan 14, 2010 - 8:10:55 PM

Bruno Sammartino Interview Recap from In Your Head Wrestling Radio hosted by Jack E. Jones & Oneinchbiceps
By: Bob Colling of https://www.facebook.com/l/9f149;chroniclesoftna.proboards.com/

To listen to the full interview go to http://www.InYourHeadOnline.com

Bruno will be at the Wrestle Reunion event January 29th through 31st, 2010 in Los Angeles Ca. For more information please visit:
http://www.wrestlereunion.com

Jack E. Jones and OIB are joined by Bruno Sammartino this week. Sammartino is not really big on being called “a living legend”. Sammartino says that he never started calling him a living legend, other people just started calling him as such. Bruno gets a chuckle out of it.

Bruno tells Jack that he didn’t really care when Larry Zbyszko started to use the phrase after their lengthy feud.

Bruno never worked with the Guerrero family at any point in his career. A caller asks about a weightlifting record Bruno had in Oakland. Bruno says that he did somewhere around 525lbs on the bench and squatted over 700lbs in 1958.

Bruno has known Bill Apter for many years. Bruno would always pose for Apter to use the pictures for his magazines. Bruno has always liked and respects him. Bruno tells a story about being in a lot of Japan magazines and didn’t know how popular he was. The whole story is actually interesting and is a good listen.

Bruno liked to work in Japan because “the fans were really into it”. Bruno also enjoyed working in Austria. Which was another place that he didn’t know he was so popular.

Jack mentions that some people may consider Bruno only being popular in the Northeast. Bruno mentions that is something Ric Flair would say and calls that “absurd”. Bruno says that anywhere he went outside of New York he was headlining. Bruno thinks if someone said that, it would be ignorant or jealously.

Bruno says that Lou Thez and Verne Gagne were great wrestlers.

Bruno never watches wrestling when asked if he watches TNA. A lot of his friends told him to watch the show as Hogan got involved and he actually ended up watching the show. Bruno shares some honest opinions on the show that should be heard.

Bruno also tells Jack that Hogan and Flair bombed where they went on their tour of Australia. Bruno shares his thoughts on the lack of ticket sales and pokes fun at the whole situation.

Jack mentions Bruno’s book that has been being sold on Ebay for a high amount and that it is being re-released. Bruno tells the story about having the book distributed nationwide six months after he got done with the book, but that never happened. The book was only sold locally. Bruno tells a story about a woman from Boston who said she paid 90 dollars and another woman paid another 110 dollars for the book. Bruno added a few things to the new book and re-released it for around 24 dollars. Bruno is happy with the book because it is his story and it is a honest book.

Bruno doesn’t think about being the longest reigning WWF World Champion in the history of the company. Bruno wouldn’t know who held the belt in the past ten years. Bruno also says that the belt doesn’t mean anything now as compared to how important it was many years ago. Bruno says he is the only guy to willingly give up the belt because he was hurting. Bruno told Vince that he would not return to the WWF as a champion, but instead did just one or two shots a week while he was hurting. Bruno also says that he was promised to work the big shows and book everyone else on the secondary shows. Bruno also said that Vince couldn’t just bank on Madison Square Garden. Bruno really goes in-depth on his run with the WWF up until 76’ where he broke his neck.

Bruno doesn’t understand why wrestlers pop pills and whatnot as he believes the ring nowadays is far better than the rings he had to work with.

The topic of Bret Hart returning to the WWE is brought up. Bruno gives a very honest answer on the situation and says that Bret brought Bruno up. Bruno is a very honest man, and shares his opinions on Bret Hart returning. Has to be heard.

Bruno hates the way wrestling is nowadays. Bruno hates the “Kiss my a**” club, profanity and nudity on the television. Bruno wouldn’t know if he would return to the wrestling world unless the wrestling business returned to his way of liking which is family friendly.

Bruno mentions how he has made two appearances for Ring of Honor. He liked ROH when he saw it the first time. Bruno says that the guys didn’t look like steroid users and the matches were one after another and didn’t have a thirty minute break of promos. Bruno says that ROH wanted him to get involved physically at his second appearance in Detroit and made up his mind that he wouldn’t associate with ROH any longer.

Bruno gives a very honest opinion on wrestlers taking steroids. Bruno makes some very valid points Tune in to see what he said on that topic!

Bruno doesn’t believe there is “too small of a wrestler” because they do things that bigger guys could never do.

Bruno says that he would never try to have the same match with different opponents. Bruno would study his opponents style so that he wouldn’t repeat matches over and over.

A caller asks if Bruno has his same opinions on Vince McMahon that he shared on “Legends Never Die”. Bruno says he does continue to share those thoughts as he hates the way wrestling is currently going. Bruno does put over the work of Kurt Angle. Bruno also mentions how sad that their has been 125 deaths in the past several years for wrestling.

The topic of UFC is brought up and Bruno says that is tough sport to compete in because of the training it takes to be a successful UFC fighter.

Bruno knows nothing about the current NWA. A caller had asked about his thoughts on the current NWA.

Jack brings up George the Animal Steele and his early days feuding with Bruno. Bruno says that he liked Steele when he was a vicious heel as compared to the comedy baby face that he turned into later on.

Bruno wasn’t a fan of outlandish gimmicks back in the day as he felt it hurt the business.

Bruno wasn’t surprised about Shane McMahon leaving the WWE. Bruno doesn’t know what is going in the personal lives but has heard that Shane didn’t feel like he had a big role in the company.

Bruno puts over Nick Bockwinkel as a great wrestler. Jack asks the last time he talked to Larry Zbyszko. Bruno says that he hasn’t talked to Larry in several years. Bruno had no idea that Larry is still wrestling. He also put over Larry as a great wrestler and could have done more if Larry had decided to move around a little more. Bruno says that Larry was wanted in Charlotte and California.

Jack thanks for Bruno joining them. Bruno enjoyed his time on the show.

For more information on Bruno's book visit Amazon or:
http://www.rasslinriotonline.com

January 29-31 at the at Wrestle Reunion Los Angeles, California. For more information visit:
http://www.wrestlereunion.com

To listen to the full In Your Head Interview head on over to InYourHeadOnline.com and you can also check out their 5+ year archive which include interviews from Scott Hall, Eric Bischoff, Awesome Kong, Chris Jericho, Tammy Lynn Sytch aka Sunny, Kevin Nash and many more, Upcoming Guests include Rock Riddle, Bill Apter, Sheik Bashir and many more weekly Wednesdays at 8:05PM Eastern.